By the time early votes rolled in on election night, Travis County’s sweeping investment in child care services had already garnered 60 percent of the vote, holding on to that margin through the night. Proposition A will generate $75 million in its first year, to go toward making child care affordable in the most expensive […]
Elections
Posted inElections
Nearly 52% of registered voters in Travis County cast an early ballot
Central Texas voters turned out for early voting at a rate just shy of the turnout seen in the 2020 election – the last time a presidential race was on the ballot. That is a little skewed since the early voting period in 2020 was extended beyond the normal two-week period because of the Covid-19 pandemic. […]
Posted inElections
Incumbents have fundraising edge in districts 2 and 4
Looking at fundraising in the final two City Council races not considered in previous reporting in the Austin Monitor, we see two reasonably popular incumbents with every reason to be optimistic about Tuesday’s election. Regardless of policies, an incumbent almost always has a fundraising advantage. And in races for districts 2 and 4, that continues […]
Posted inElections
New reports show PACs at work in Austin Council races
As everyone is keenly aware, there’s an important election coming up next week. Not just the federal contest, but also City Council races. The candidates have now turned in their final campaign finance reports before the Nov. 5 election. These reports indicate not only how successful they have been in raising money but also who […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
As voters weigh higher tax rate for Austin public schools, group of former trustees raises concerns
Voters are deciding whether to approve a tax rate increase that would generate new revenue for Central Texas’ largest public school district as it grapples with a $119 million budget deficit. Austin Independent School District officials have said that shortfall is largely due to the fact that state funding for public schools is not keeping up […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
City looks to reduce lead time on approved bond projects ahead of expected 2026 proposals
City staffers hope to dramatically shorten the early lag in approved bond projects that typically add a year to construction and acquisition schedules, which can also increase costs or reduce the scope for proposed projects. Last week’s meeting of the Bond Oversight Commission included an update on progress for Parks and Recreation Department projects included […]
Posted inElections
Ethics complaints won’t be heard before Election Day
As voters flocked to the polls on the first day of early voting, the city’s Ethics Review Commission decided it would postpone considering complaints about Mayor Kirk Watson and challenger Doug Greco accepting more than the allowed amount from non-Austin residents. City code limits the amounts candidates can receive from non-city residents on the theory […]
Posted inElections
Where do Austin’s mayoral candidates stand on public safety issues?
Austin has seen meteoric growth over the past decade and a half, and its police department has found itself rethinking its priorities to address public safety amid the influx of newcomers. So, we asked the five candidates for Austin mayor where they stand on the following issues and how they would broadly address public safety […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Ballot measure asks taxpayers to help fund access to affordable child care
In May of this year, Travis County committed to a broad investment in child care with the Creating Access for Resilient Families, or CARES initiative. To fund that care sustainably, the county will ask voters on Nov. 5 to approve a 2.5-cent property tax increase, which would generate an estimated $75.8 million and raise the […]
Posted inElections
Vela, Guzmán and Herrin raise quality-of-life concerns in race for District 4
In the race for the District 4 seat on City Council, incumbent Chito Vela is facing four candidates, with the two most visible challengers – Monica Guzmán and Louis Herrin – notching their third and fourth races for City Council, respectively. Quality-of-life issues are the main concerns expressed by Vela, Guzmán and Herrin, the three […]
Posted inElections
West side District 10 candidates do not agree on much
There are just two candidates running for the District 10 City Council seat: Marc Duchen and Ashika Ganguly. While both have lived in West Austin for a number of years, Duchen, 46, has a longer track record. Duchen has an MBA and has served on the board of his homeowners’ association as well as the […]
Posted inElections
PACs raising funds for Watson, Greco, others
A political action committee supporting Mayor Kirk Watson has raised more than $238,000 but spent less than $2,900 so far, according to a report filed with Austin’s Office of the City Clerk. One of the major contributors to the Austin Leadership PAC is Brandywine Operating Partner, which donated $10,000 to the PAC. Brandywine has been […]